TDSB votes on closing schools

School board deciding fate of eight sites
If eight schools closed,  would save $60 mil
Kris Scheuer
(Written June 23 for Town Crier.  June 24 UPDATE.)

TDSB to vote on closing sites to get revenue to reinvest in schools across Toronto. Town Crier file photo.

The school board has some vital votes tonight on whether to keep eight public schools open.
Board staff and a local Accommodation Review Committee recommend Arlington close by September 2011 and J.R Wilcox, Cedarvale, Humewood and Rawlington all expand to grade eight to accommodate area students.
Briar Hill school
Another local ARC recommended closing Briar Hill PS and moving students to nearby school sites. A minority report by some committee members recommended putting a new JK to 3 school at the site, which could be redeveloped with a residential building.
That was supposed to come to the school board June 23, but instead a decision’s been postponed to allow time to explore the options.
No decision have been made yet regarding selling the site, redevelopment or closing the school, but staff has been asked to look at how much it would cost to build a new Briar Hill school on-site if the lot was redeveloped.

Advertisement

Briar Hill school could close

North Toronto elementary school’s enrollment declining
Parents vow to defeat closure recommendation
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier April 22.)

Briar Hill parent Carmen Moscarello and son Matthew fighting to keep school open. Photo by Karolyn Coorsh/Town Crier.

Briar Hill parent Carmen Moscarello isn’t ready to say goodbye to her child’s elementary school.
But if a report on the future of three schools in the Dufferin and Eglinton area is adopted by the Toronto school board in June, she may have to.
An Accommodation Review Committee report is recommending closing Briar Hill, expanding nearby Fairbank Middle School from JK to grade 8, and keeping West Prep Junior School as JK to grade 6.
Briar Hill is facing closure because of declining enrollment at the JK to grade 5 school. The 1927-built facility has a capacity for 265 students but only about 147 kids are enrolled there.
An attached minority report by committee members and Briar Hill parents Julie McFayden and Paul Dover doesn’t support closing the school.
Board staff will make its own recommendations and the issue will go for a board vote at the end of June, but in the meantime, parents like Moscarello are fuming at the mere suggestion of closure.

Toronto school trustee election candidates

Who is running for Catholic and public school boards
City election attracting both new blood and veterans
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Oct.25)

 

Etobicoke-Lakeshore Trustee Bruce Davis is not seeking re-election opting to run mayoral candidate George Smitherman's campaign instead.

 

 

Here’s the lowdown on who’s running for the 22-seat TDSB.
Etobicoke North Ward 1. Current trustee John Hastings has registered, so have candidates Andrew Bacchus, Paul Singh and Saadiq Malik.
Etobicoke Centre Ward 2.  Current trustee and former TDSB chair John Campbell is not running here but for council instead. Eight candidates are registered: Wayne Chen, Maya Worsoff, Ron Jaicarran, Chris Glover, John Kapralos, Husein Kirefu, Stephen Thiele and Kaydee Richmond.
Etobicoke Lakeshore Ward 3. Current trustee and TDSB chair Bruce Davis was signed up but withdrew July 2. Five candidates are running: Peter Debrone, Pamela Gough, Margaret McBeath, Andy Kyriakos and Richard Carter.